Running 2017 MLB regular season thread

Wasn't the 12 or 13 thing a dig, referring to the suspension?

 

That's what I thought. I laughed.

 

This is why Twitter is "great." They didn't really talk about their "icy relationship;" Jackson did enter the frame but not as a photobomber; and the interviewer did screw up their names during some sort of flurry of activity. (Of course, one of the board vigilantes eats it up and posts it verbatim so we have to play the clip to find out what really happened. But vigilantes don't pay attention. Vigilantes attack!)

 

Syndegaard out three months, Hamels out two months. Kluber just hit the DL.

Flies are now dropping like pitchers.

 

Sam Holbrook sends Kevin Gausman to the Fenway Park showers in the second inning for a 75-MPH curve that hit Xander Bogaerts in the back. Zero Tolerance Night in Boston, apparently.

 

Chickenshit call. And Adam Jones came all the way from center field to get in Holbrook's face.

 

Does that mean no N-bombs either?

Not that anyone in Boston would ever do something like that.

 

All the umpire has to do is think about what happened for a second before making the decision. He didn't, got caught up in the emotion of the moment, and made a horrendous ejection.

There should be some sort of consequence for the umpire losing his cool, but there won't.

 

I got into a hell of an argument either here or in a Facebook group about how Adam Hamari (then a ringer, now a full-timer who grew up near my hometown) heaved Noah Syndergaard with no warnings for throwing (at or behind, can't remember) at Chase Utley last year, but this appears to be totally innocuous in comparison.

I believe the standard for evaluation should be whether or not the pitcher used the ball as a weapon. Such a finding is very hard to reach here.

 

In comparison, Chris Sale yesterday carved up the first two hitters (I believe he struck out the first two batters on three pitches apiece), then threw a fastball behind Manny Machado. A warning was given.

There is zero question the pitch was intentional. Why would Sale not be thrown out in that case, when the intent was so clear?

Bungled situation all around, including from the Red Sox pitchers, who tried to hit Machado at least five times in the last 10 days, but have yet to actually hit him.

 

Ozuna hit the banner.

 

And now Holbrook ejects Adam Jones for chirping at him as he walked away from the plate after a strikeout.